Volatile Fatty Acid Recovery from Arrested Anaerobic Digestion for the Production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel: A Review

Journal Article · 08 September 2023 · Fermentation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090821 · OSTI ID:2496810

Ge, Xumeng ; Chen, Yian ; Sànchez i Nogué, Violeta ; Li, Yebo

The process of producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from organic waste involves the use of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as intermediates that are obtained via arrested anaerobic digestion (AAD) and VFA recovery. This recovery process often requires several steps, including dewatering, filtration, extraction, and purification. The recovery of VFAs is crucial for their upgrading and can pose a challenge in the production of SAF from organic waste due to high costs and compatibility issues. This review discusses various dewatering methods, including centrifuges, belt filter presses, and screw presses, and explores conditioning technologies that can improve dewatering performance. It also introduces filtration technologies, with a focus on dynamic filtration, which shows promise in addressing the issue of membrane fouling. Additionally, the review describes extraction technologies such as electrodialysis, adsorption, and liquid–liquid extraction (LLE). By providing insights into these different techniques, the review aims to contribute to the development of an integrated VFA recovery process with low carbon footprint.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Quasar Energy Group, Independence, OH (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Agriculture (USDA); USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308; EE0009765
• OSTI ID: 2496810
• Report Number(s): NREL/JA--2800-87400; PII: fermentation9090821
• Journal Information: Fermentation, Journal Name: Fermentation Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 9; ISSN 2311-5637; ISSN FERMC4
• Publisher: MDPI AGCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: Switzerland
• Language: English